Moving-sign device



G. E. McMASTER. MOVING SIGN DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I. 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET .1-

Fig.1

G e mgeBMQMaB ter, mmvron. I BY mai m,

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

G; E. MCMASTER; MOVING SIGN DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT1I.1920- 1,359,084, Patented Nov. 16, 1920. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2- George EMEMaslze EINVENTOR.

BYQDm/id C5.

A TTORNEY.

, blooms in general, but may be shaped to con- UNITED STATES GEORGE E. MGMASTER, OF BEIlLINGI-IAM, WASHINGTON.

MOVING-SIGN DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

' Application filed. September 1, 1920. Serial No. 407,458.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. MCMASTER, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Bellingham, in the county of Vhatcom and State of lVashington, have invented a new. and useful Moving Sign Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in moving sign devices of the kind wherein movable signs are caused to move and pause alternately to cover or expose themselves, each other or stationary signs.

I have applied for a patent, filed August 17, 1920, Serial No. 104,057, for a similar device suited for general purposes, and the objects of this invention are to provide a moving sign device of adecorative or ornamental character, and also to provide for suitable, simple and durable mechanism for operating the same.

I attain these objects with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying three sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation view of my device, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my device with the cover removed, Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the five cams used, drawn on a smaller scale, Fig. 4 is a left-hand side elevation of Fig.1, F i 5 is a right-hand side elevation of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 shows a rear and side elevation of one of the sign carriers, Fig. 7 is a cross section of Fig. 2 on the line 7-7, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of one of the bell cranks, drawn on a larger scale.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout. Certain parts are broken away to show other parts hidden thereby. The other positions of pause of the sign carriers are shown in dotted lines, and the movements of levers are indicated by dotted-line GIGS.

More particularly: 9 is the base ofthe structure and is shown as solid, for the purpose of simplicity, but in practice an anglebar construction is preferred.

10 is a cover forthe device, and preferably is made of sheet metal; it is fastened to base 9 with screws. 10, 10, 10, 10 and 10 are five openings in cover 10. They are shown as circular as the shape best sulted I01 flower form to the particularshape of bloom to be used. Through these openings elther the blooms or the signs are seen, so they must re ister with the stationary designs and also with the movable'signs in one of their positions of pause. 10 and 10 are two hinged doors in cover 10 to provide access to the mechan sm without removing said cover.

11 1s a plate providing support for the statlonary designs. 11, 11 are posts fastened to base 9 and supporting plate 11 to which they are attached. 11 11 11 11", and 11 are five pairs of channel bars, each pair with faclng grooves, fastened to the rear side of plate 11 relatively in divergent positions; they provide slideways for the slides of the sign carriers. I

12,13, 1-1, 15, 16 are five sign carriers. 12, 13, 11, 15 and 16 are five U straps, each fastened to one of said sign carriers and to aslide. 12, 13, 11, 15 and 16 are five slides suited to move in slide ways 11", and each fastened by one of said U straps to one of said sign carriers. 12, 13 1 1, 15 and 16 are bosses mounted on the rear side of said slides, and each has a tapped hole in its outer end for engagement with a pivot screw of a link. 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are five ofiset clips fastened to the lower ends of said slides for attachment to springs. 12 13", 14?, 15 and 16 are links, each connecting one of said slides to a bell crank.

17, 17 are five helical springs each connected for tension between one of said slide clips and a bracket. 17, 17, 17, 17 and 17 are five brackets fastened to base 9 and each engaged with one end of one of said springs 17.

18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are five stationary designs, preferably of flower blooms, mounted on plate 11 each to register with one of openings 10, 10, 10, 10 or 10 in cover 10, andalso located to be covered by one of the sign carriers 12,13, 14, 15 or 16 when in one of its positions of pause.

23, 2 1, 25, 26. and 27 are five cam disks mounted fixed on cam shaft 33. Each cam disk comprises a larger circular arc of same designation, a smaller circular are 23, 24, 25, 26 or 27, and two diagonal connecting and bearing surfaces 23, 23; 2 1, 2 1; 25', 25; 26, 26 or 27, 27, said diagonals connecting the ends of said larger and smaller arcs. 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 d are five flanged canrbearing wheels each mounted for revolution on one end of one of five bifurcated arms for hearing on one of said cam disks.

28, 29', 30, 31 and 32 are five bell cranks each mounted for rotation on one of bosses 28, 29, 30, 31 or 32 which is fastened to base 9. Fig. 8 illustrates the method of mounting said bell cranks, here bell crank 31 is shown having Stud 31 fixed in its end. Said stud is provided with a key for fixing bifurcated arm 31 and is mounted for revolution in boss 31 where it is retained by a nut. 28, 29 36 31 and 32* are each the ifurcatedarm ofa bell crank mountingii 35 is an electric motor, having suitable connections with. a source of electrical power, not shown, and mounted on bracket 85 which is fastened to base 9. i

. 36 is an extension of the shaft of said motor and mounts fixed onits outer end worm 37. It protrudes through said worm and is mounted for revolution in a bearing on bracket 34 37 is a worm wheel mounted fixed on a shaft which is mounted for, revolution in bearings on brackets 3e and 34: in engagement with worm 3T.

3 7, asstated, isa worm fixed on shaft 36 in engagement with worm wheel 3?.

3 8;is a spur gear mounted fixed on the shaft of worm wheel 37 in engagement with spur wheel 38.

It is apparent that the flower blooms l822 may as well be located on carriers l2el6 and thesignsto be placed on said carriers may as well be given the stationary positions'shown asoccupied by said blooms. Also many signs are of a decorative character-. Hence the termdesign will henceforthbe used to designate both the terms sign and flower bloomabove referred to.

The revolution of said cams will cause the cam-bearingwheels to move outward or inward when on diagonals23", 24?, 25 26", 27 or 23, 24, 25?, 26, 27, respectivel thuscausing thedesign carriers to move fromtheir concealed positions to their exposed positionscovering the stationary designs, or from said exposed and covering positions to their concealed positions, respectively. l/Vhen said cam-bearing wheels are on the circular arcs of the cams the design carriers moved thereby will remain stationary.

T heblooming plant shown on cover 10 in Figl crudely illustrates thedecorative and attractive possibilities of my device. The rangeof artistic embellishment is very wide, and'theattendant attractive features are apparent. As anobserver notes the pleasing rolor and form of'a-bloom'it is covered by anadvertisementwhich he quite naturally 7 horizontal or even diagonal direction.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a moving design device in combination, a plurality of design carriers; a plurality of slides, one fastened tov each of said carriers; a plurality of divergent slideways, each occupied by one of said slides which is slidable therein; and a plurality of stationary designs, each coverable by one of said design carriers when in one of its positions ofpause. v

2. In a moving design device in combination, a, plurality ofdesign carriers; a plurality of slides, one fastened to each of said carriers; a plurality of divergent slideways, each occupied by one of said slides which is slidable therein; a plurality of stationary designs, each coverable by one of said design carriers when in one of its positions of pause; and means to cause each of said design carriers to move behind a cover for itself and pause while thus covered, thus exposing one of said stationary designs, then to move to expose itself and coverv one of said stationary designs and pause While covering said stationary design.

3. In a moving sign device in combination, a plurality of design carriers; a' plurality of stationary designs of flower blooms; a cover over said design carriers and devices for mounting said stationary designs and mechanism for operating said design carriers, having openings therethrough registering with said designs of blooms and also having depicted thereon a plant with blossomvstems registering withsaid designs of blooms; and means to cause each of said design carriers to move behind said cover and pausefwhile thus hidden, thus exposing one of said stationary designs of flower blooms, then to move to expose itself through one of said cover openlngs and cover oneof said designs of blooms and pause while thus covering said bloom design.

4. In a moving sign device-in combination, a plurality of design carriers; a plurality ofisolated, artistic, stationary designs forming a part of a larger artistic design;

a cover over said design carriers and dev ces for .mountlng sald stationary, isolated designs and mechanism for operating said design carriers, having openings therethrough registering with said isolated, artistic, stationary designs and also having depicted thereon a larger artistic design registering with said isolated designs which form a part thereof; and means to cause each of said design carriers to move behind said cover and pause while thus hidden, thus exposing one of said isolated, artistic designs, 10 then to move to expose itself through one of said cover openings and cover one of said isolated, artistic designs and pause while thus covering said isolated design.

GEORGE E. MQMASTER. 

